Inkstand



(No Model.)

G. A. PIFIELD..

INKSTAND.

No. 427,063. PatentedlVIay 6, 1890.

@QMCKfMQ/ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE A. FIFIELD, OF DUBUQUE, IOVA.

INKSTAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,063, dated May 6,1890.

Application filed June 10, 1889. Serial No. 313,686. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. FIFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Inkstands; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to various new and useful improvements ininkstands.

The particular variety of inkstands to which my invention has immediatereference is that in which the ink-well will be immediately closed whenthe pen-holder is placed on a convenient rack or support, and when thepen is removed therefrom the entrance will be automatically closed. Inthe devices of this character heretofore made there has been no questionas to their great convenience and utility; butnevertheless there aresome disadvantages attendant on their construction, and particularly forthe reason that the closinglid has been always arranged to be loweredinto and raised from position over the mouth of the ink-vessel, so as tothereby be liable to become lodged over the entrance by the coagulationof the ink. By means of my invention nothing of this nature can occur,since the closing-lid does not come into engagement with the ink.

The principal novelties in the construction of my invention consist ofan ink-vessel having a mouth therein for the entrance of the pen, amovable shield pivoted with relation to said inkstand and adapted to benormally away from the mouth in the same, a support or rack securedeither to the ink-vessel or to the shield for the reception of the pen,and a counterbalancing weight or spring attached either to theink-vessel or to the shield for keeping the shield in its normalposition away from the opening in the ink-vessel. y

For a thorough understanding of my present invention, taken inconnection with the description following hereinafter, attention isinvited to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of an improved inkstand with a shield movable withrelation to the ink-receptacle; Fig. 2, a side as to sit firmly andsecurely on the desk, and

with a curved top, and I make said ink-vessel of some sheet metal-suchas brass or tin, on account of the cheapness of such substances andtheir capability for use for the purpose intended. Projecting out fromeach of the sides of the ink-vessel is a pivoting-pin a, and thelocation of these pins is preferably at the center of a circle whosecircumference is a continuation of the arc formed by the top of theink-receptacle. By reasonof this peculiar and definite location of thesepivotingpins it will be apparent from afurther perusal of thisspecification that when the shieldl is moved either by the weight of thepen-holder or the counterbalancing Weight or spring the movement of thesaid shield will be parallel with the top of the ink-receptacle.

C C are two vertical arms bearing at their lower ends on thepivoting-pins a a, so as to be capable of vertical movement thereon. A

.shield D connects the upper ends of these vertical arms, theconnections being by means of soldering or otherwise, and by this meansthe shield will be pivotally supported directly over the top of theink-receptacle. The precise shape of this shield is immaterial. It maybe ornamented or not, to suit the taste, and the only essentialattendant thereto is, that in its normal position it should be entirelyto one side of the opening in the inkvessel.

Two studs b and c, one on the front and the other on the rear side ofthe ink-vessel, form stops to arrest the backward or forward movementsof the shield. The shield is kept normally against the rear stud c andfrom engagement with the opening in the ink-vessel by means of acounterbalancing-weight E, mounted on the end of an arm, (not shown,) soas to bring the center of gravity as low as possible. Instead of thiscounterbalancing- IOO Weight, a retracting-spring might be used withequally good results.

Attached to the forward portion of the shield is a rack .or support F,provided with two or more curved arms e e for the easy reception of apen-holder. This rack or support may be very conveniently made ofordinary wire and of one piece; but this is a mere suggestion, and I donot wish to be limited to such, since the construction of the saidpensupporting rack is open to many changes and modifications.

The action in operation of the device I have j ust described is this:Vhen in use, the counterbalancing-weight will hold the shield backagainst the stud c and away from the opening in the ink-vessel, so thatclear and uninterrupted passage is given to reach the ink. When throughwith the ink-vessel, the penholder is placed on the receiving-arms e e,and its weight will overcome the opposition of thecounterbalanGing-weight, and the shield will be thrown over against theforward stud b and directly over the opening in the inkvessel. Saidopening is thereby effectively closed, and all dust, &c., will beexcluded from the ink, and, additionally, the presence of such shieldover the said opening will prevent evaporation in a measure.

The form of inkstand illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 will now be described.It is similar in many respects to the form described above, theessential difference being that in this inkstand the shield remainsstationary, while the ink-vessel moves vsith relation thereto. Grepresents Athe ink-vessel, provided, as in the former case, with acurved top. Since the bottom of the ink-vessel in this form is suspendedclear of the desk, it is better to make it curved to correspond with thetop thereof,

`as by so doing the ink can be reached with equal facility when there isbut a small quant-ity in the ink-vessel. This latter form is alsoprovided with pivoting-pins, supportingarms, and a shield correspondingidentically with the similar elements of ,the first. The shield,however, is supported and is stationary, and the mounting thereof can beaccomplished in a number of ways. Y I have shown the one that I regardas preferable. An inverted-V-shaped support f is rigidly secured toitsapex, directly to the lower extremity of each of the supportingarms b b,by means of soldering or otherwise. By means of these supports f thedevice will sit firmly on the desk with the shield held in a rigidposition to one side of the opening in the ink-receptacle. This, as inthe first form, is the normal position of the shield. The inkreceptacleis provided either on its interior or exterior, at its rear position,with a counterbalancing-weight g or, instead of this weight, aretracting-spring may be used. The penrack, insteadof being secured tothe shield, is attached to the front side of the ink-vessel. A stud b isplaced on the rear side of the inkvessel, so as to arrest the frontmovement of the same.

In this form the following is the mode of operation: Vhen in use, theshield is held away from the opening in the ink-vessel and unimpededentrance is offered for the entrance of the pen. After the writer hasiinished using the stand the pen is placed on the rack, therebypartially rotating the ink-vessel and throwing the opening thereinpartly around, so as to be covered by the shield, and it will thereby beeffectively closed. Upon removing the pen the counterbalancing-weightwill return the ink-vessel to its normal position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l.V The combination of an ink-vessel and a shield pivoted together, oneelement being movable and the other immovable,a supporting base or standfor the immovable element, a pen-rack and an opposing Weight attached tothe movable element, and an opening in the ink-vessel adapted to beclosed by the shield when the pen is placed on the rack.

2. The combination of an ink-vessel and a shield, one element beingmovable and each having a pivotal relation to the other, a penrack andcounterbalancing-Weight attached to the moving element, and twoarresting steps or studs for restricting the movement of such movableelement.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. FIFIELD.

NVitnesses:

MONROE M. CADY, .J. F. NELSON.

